Black and Blue
by m.march
Summary: Nightwing and Blue Beetle are captured. Talking is soon followed by action. Nightwing/Blue Beetle -BlueBird-. Romance and action. First chapter isn't so M but I'm sure we'll get there.
1. Chapter 1

Hey! So, I own nothing DC.

I actually tried to find Nightwing/Blue Beetle fics (I'm affectionately calling them BlueBird) but couldn't find any. So, I wrote one! I hope someone else likes this idea too, because I plan to do a couple more.

* * *

-Black and Blue-

"Blue." Nightwing's voice was steady in the dark, the way it always was.

Jaime sighed audibly. "Yeah." His head was as quiet at the dark of this cell. The collar felt heavy around his neck, bruising his skin. When he woke up with it on, he had expected to hear the beetle in his head telling him that it would shut it off or interrupt the transmission or whatever it was it did, but the voice never came and he seemed to be completely unable to access his powers. Nightwing had hypothesized then that it was a new design- an improvement on the last one.

The mission they had been on had just been a scouting. Nothing complicated. There had been a string of odd crimes in the area and just about the entire Young Justice team had been out, skulking on rooftops and keeping and eye out. The league of assassins had come out of nowhere in numbers Jaime had never seen before.

"You're going to be alright." Dick assured. He had said it when they woke up too and Jaime had nodded, unable to do anything else. The room was so dark they couldn't even see their own hands let alone each other.

Nightwing had felt out the walls and the door and the floor, he had searched every inch of it before settling into a corner and waiting. The only lights at all were the faint green of their collars.

"It's just... last time I was abducted.." Jaime started before his jaw flexed and he decided not to talk about the Reach.

"This isn't the same." Nightwing promised but something about his tone made Jaime wonder if the other man thought it was better or worse.

"Why would they collar you?" Jaime muttered. He thought he felt the other smile. "You're not super, I mean."

"Precaution? Maybe it has a kill switch?"

Jaime frowned at how casually the bat prodigy considered his possibilities. "I'm missing my graduation."

Nightwing laughed, the sound echoing in their prison. "You should thank them for that. It's like a hundred degrees out. It would have been awful to sit there all day waiting for your name to be called."

Jaime nodded. "I guess that's true. I did hate the hat."

"Always a bright side."

The lights came on and both of them flinched, eyes taking time to adjust. There was a new hum of electricity, the bulb high above and a camera in the corner turning on as well. "Speaking of bright." Jaime muttered, raising his bound hands to rub at his eyes.

"Looks like we have an audience." Nightwing noted, nudging his chin toward the camera in the corner. "It might have audio."

Jaime groaned and moved closer to his friend, leaning his head to the side. "See if you can get this shit off me and I'll blow our way out of here." He said and the other man leaned closer but before he could touch the collar a wave of electricity shocked both of them through their collars, bringing them to their sides on the floor.

When it stopped, Nightwing huffed out a breath. "Well, I think the camera has audio and now we know why I'm wearing a collar too."

"Always a bright side." Jaime muttered this time. With his cheek to the floor he heard the heavy foot steps coming. His brown eyes looked at Nightwing. "What do they want?"

"Guess we'll find out." Dick sat upright and on his knees, rolling up to his feet before the sound of the locks on the other side of the door started to unlatch. If Jaime wasn't another hero he might have told him not to tell them anything, not to give away any secrets, but it wasn't something that needed saying.

The door opened just as Jaime got to his feet, leaning his shoulders back against the wall. The light in the hallway was even brighter and three men in masks stood outside. Before anyone moved, electricity surged through their collars again to bring them to the floor. Two men grabbed Nightwing by the arms and lifted him, dragging him out of the cell. Jaime looked up in time to have the door slam back into place.

In the silence that followed he felt panic rising in his chest. He stood and stared at the door, waiting as though they would open it again any minute and take him too. They didn't. They didn't and it only made his panic worse. What were they doing? Where did they take Nightwing? Would they bring him back?

He slammed a kick to the door but it only echoed the sounds of his captivity back at him, reminding him that he couldn't get out of this place without the power given to him by the scarab. No one could get out of this place. No. That wasn't true. Nightwing didn't have powers and he got out of jams like this all the time. What had he been doing before? Searching the walls and the door. Jaime looked at everything around him, ever corner, ever crack in the concrete walls, the seams of the door, the dome camera in the high corner. He looked at everything but he didn't know what to do.

"Where did you take him?" He finally shouted, staring at the black lense of the camera. It stared back but said nothing. "What do you want?" He yelled but only silence answered. With a hiss he darted the short distance to one wall, jumping up to push off of it and up higher against the next wall, reaching for the camera. Before his fingertips could touch it, the collar shocked him again. His back hit the floor hard, knocking the air from his chest.

Time seemed to slow down. He had no way of knowing how long he was there, waiting, until he finally heard footsteps in the hallway again. It sounded like they were dragging something. Jaime stood when they started to unlock the door but the collar brought him to his knees again. The door opened and the same masked guards returned, this time dragging Nightwing's weight between them. They tossed him in and his body rolled, limbs limp.

Jaime's eyes widened. "What the hell did you do?" He shouted but no one answered. The door closed and locked in the same pattern of bolts and latches.

He rolled Nightwing onto his back. His hands weren't cuffed anymore but his left arm was definitely broken, along with several fingers on that hand. "Nightwing." Jaime whispered, pushing dark hair away from a pale face that was now welted with split flesh and bruises. His mask was gone and the cheekbone beneath one eye deeply bruised. "Shit. Wake up." He hissed. "Wake up."

Those eyes opened and they were blue. Jaime had never known. Honestly, he'd never even wondered. Now he was certain he would never forget.

Nightwing smiled, lip busted and the cut stretching when he refused to wince and drop the grin. "You're going to be fine." He said again before those eyes closed and he let out a tired huff.

"Your arm is broken." Jaime said, not sure what else to say or do.

Dick nodded once but didn't open his eyes again. "Yep."

"What do they want?"

Nightwing cracked his eyes open and looked up at him. "Don't worry. It's not about our team."

Jaime frowned. He hated when Nightwing was secretive. "Well it's obviously got something to do with us. Look at you."

"Me. Not you. Don't freak out." Dick muttered, tired.

Blue Beetle frowned for a long while before his features relaxed into some grim understanding. "It's about Bats?"

Nightwing shrugged his right shoulder, the one not connected to a broken arm and messed up hand.

Jamie sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I don't suppose you told them where the Bat hands his cowl and we'll be going home now?" He joked dryly. He wouldn't have told if he had known and no one that knew Nightwing would ever imagine getting any information about the Bat out of him.

Nightwing smiled and that was his answer.

Blue Beetle nodded and leaned his head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "How many times have you been kidnapped?"

Nightwing laughed and there was a sharp cough that followed, pained. Jaime winced. It was the sound of broken ribs. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"How do you usually get away?" Jaime had lowered his voice, as though the people watching them wouldn't hear.

Nightwing opened his eyes again and rolled his head to the side to look up at the other hero. "Sometimes I find a chance to get away and I take it. Sometimes I make a chance."

"You didn't see any way to get away when they took you out of here?" He asked, voice still hushed. He saw something in those blue eyes, something different in the way they looked at him before Nightwing looked at the ceiling again. "You saw an opportunity?" He hissed in a whisper. "Why wouldn't you take it?"

"You should get some rest, Blue."

Jaime stared down at the other man that lay beside where he sat. His eyes widened. "Dios mio."

"Don't freak out." Dick reminded with a tired groan.

"You stayed here because of me?" Blue Beetle half shouted. "Are you stupid?"

"What was I supposed to do, Blue?"

Jaime ground his teeth. Nightwing sounded tired and somehow that just made everything worse. "Not getting your arm broken would have been a great start."

Dick smiled at the ceiling. "I'll try to remember that next time."

"Next time." Jaime muttered. "Mierda!"

"You're freaking out."

"Of course I am! You're going to get killed!"

Nightwing was quiet for a few seconds before he rolled his head to the side again and looked up at Jaime. "Since I am going to die," He started, not missing the cringe on the Latin man's cheek. "do I get a last request?"

"Not if it's for me to stop freaking out, you don't."

Dick laughed and when Jaime heard that sharp cough following it he felt cold. What if Nightwing really did die in this place? What if he didn't come back next time they took him away? "What do you want?" His voice was low, his chest tight with the worry that the other would start giving him a list of things to say to his loved ones.

"It's kind of an odd thing to ask." Nightwing hedged, still watching him.

Jaime sighed. "Odd has always kind of been your thing, man."

Dick smiled, quiet for another few seconds before he asked boldly. "I want a kiss."

Blue Beetle actually felt his eyes widen before he laughed nervously. "What?"

"You should make it a good one too, since I'm going to die and it's probably going to be pretty brutal."

Jaime frowned abruptly. "You're trying to guilt me into making out with you?"

"I did stay because of you."

"I didn't ask you to!"

"Is that really going to matter when I'm dead?"

"Did they knock your brain loose?"

"Maybe."

Jaime groaned and shook his head, a small smile in the corner of his mouth. "What do you really want?"

Nightwing shrugged his right shoulder again, that arm bent with the hand over his chest. His left was a broken wing at his side. "You don't have to."

Jaime lifted his brows in surprise. "Seriously?" He was answered with another shrug. "Why would you want me to kiss you?"

"Do I need a reason?" Nightwing asked, sounding tired again. His eyes closed and his head rested back again.

Jaime stared at that bruised cheekbone and broken lip. He sat upright, away from the wall, but found himself still staring at the other man. Suddenly he felt afraid of the silence that built around them, the time that started to move by- inching them closer to the next time the door opened. He moved to sit next to Nightwing and over him, his back to the camera now. He leaned over him, one hand pressing to the hard floor on the other side of the bird's head. When that arm bent he found himself moving closer to that other man's face. That broken lip looked so raw. Would it hurt him?

Nightwing didn't open his eyes or move. What if he had fallen asleep? Did that make it better or worse? Jaime had dated guys before but he had never imagined kissing a teammate, let alone Nightwing. Then again, until today, he had never known those eyes were blue, either.

He lingered that last inch over Nightwing's face. No mask, but still just Nightwing to him. And then he closed his eyes and swallowed the space between them. It was a soft kiss at first, his thoughts still worried about that cut lip, but then Nightwing's mouth opened and he couldn't resist sliding his tongue in to find the other's. The kiss grew, his hand sliding behind Nightwing's neck, finger curling against dark hair to press into skin.

_'Shutting down interfering technology, Jaime Reyes.'_ Scarab's voice rang in his thoughts, surprising Jaime from the kiss. He pulled back those few inches, still holding onto Nightwing beneath him. Brown eyes stared down at blue. Nightwing smiled, lips more swollen now than they had been minutes ago. "I told you, Blue, you're going to be alright."

Jaime heard the color click when it shut off and sat up a little more to see Nightwing's arm between them, a thin piece of metal in his fingers that he had used to pick Jaime's collar and disconnect whatever frequency was blocking the scarab.

An alarm sounded in the hallways outside.

_'It is time to leave, Jaime Reyes.'_ Scarab hissed.

Nightwing's smile twisted suddenly when electricity lashed out through his collar to make his body tense and arch on the ground.

Jaime ground his teeth and the blue and black armor of the Beetle swallowed him. Fingers reached down, hooking into Nightwing's collar and ripping it off.

_'Leave the other.'_ Scarab advised with the sound of foot steps beating down the hallway.

"No." The Beetle replied sharply before picking up Nightwing and folding him over one shoulder.

_'It is a hindrance to take him. He is already damaged.'_ The scarab argued.

Jaime didn't reply this time, his right arm changing into a plasma canon. The guards were still working on the locks when Blue Beetle blew a hole through the outer wall. Wind gushed in and Jaime leaned out. Orange eyes took in the night outside. They were in a building pressed into the side of a mountain over the sea. It wouldn't have been a fun climb down. Luckily, the Blue Beetle didn't need to climb.

When the door was kicked open the prisoners were already gone.

* * *

So that's my very first go at these characters. I'm thinking about doing a second chapter for it. Hope you liked it!


	2. Names

Dick had spent the better part of a month under house arrest at the Wayne mansion with a small fleet of doctors looking in on him. He didn't remember the actual escape from the prison but from what he heard, Blue Beetle had actually carried him back to Gotham.

He was more than happy to be back in Bludhaven in his own apartment. It might not be a mansion or have a staff, or even much in the fridge, but it was his own and it was doctor free.

He couldn't help but think that he should have at least raided the fridge before he left house in Gotham. Bruce had wanted him to stay but if he had it his way, Dick would be stuck playing the sick kid until his arm was out of the cast.

With his good arm, the one not wrapped in layers of plaster from elbow to knuckles, he pulled out a bottle of water. He was in the process of pinning the bottle to his chest between cast and dark blue tank top and trying to unscrew the cap when someone knocked at his door. Dick turned his head to glare with blue eyes at the door, suspecting Alfred or maybe an actual doctor to check on him yet again.

He walked around the kitchen island and to the door. With a lean of his head to the side he looked through the peep hole. He almost dropped the bottle of water. He stood there, straight and staring at the door.

The knock came again, persistent and almost excited this time. Dick thought it was the echo of his heart. He considered not answering. He could, couldn't he? Would it be helpful?

"I know you're there." Jaime called through the door. "I could always just knock the door down.."

Dick frowned and opened the door. He stared back at Jaime. Almost none of the heroes knew his identity let alone had been to his house. Jaime grinned wider when the door opened and Dick couldn't help but feel warm and more than a little happy he'd opened the door.

Jaime's smile was full of pride and mischief. "Dick." He practically exhaled the nickname.

His eyes widened and something in his chest shuddered. He had never planned to tell Jaime his real identity. "How did you.."

Jaime scoffed and walked in. Dick stepped back to let him and then closed the door after. "Your not the only one that can do some detective work." He said proudly.

Dick raised an eyebrow while Jaime seemed to be taking a look around his place with pointed curiosity. "Did someone tell you?"

Jaime tossed him a mock wounded look. "I did get a look at your face." He reminded.

"It was messed up!" Dick protested, a faint bruise still marking his cheek and his lower lip sporting a scab from the healing split.

Jaime shrugged and sat on one of the barstools at the kitchen island. "What can I say, it's a nice face."

Dick laughed then and shrugged in a thank you before walking to the tile square his friend was sitting at. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, Dick." Jaime said, enjoying the name a little too much.

Dick sighed and gave him a sharp look while handing him the water he'd been trying to open. "You could call me Richard or-"

"No." Jaime said firmly, opening the bottle. "I'm going to call you Dick. I think this is fair. I mean, you've always known my identity."

Dick smiled and shrugged. "I guess. But you really can't tell people about it."

Jaime took a drink of the water before holding it out to the other. "You have a lot of secrets."

Dick took the bottle and raised his eyebrow under dark hair, leaning his good side into the counter next to Jaime. "Do I? I thought it was just the identity."

Jaime watched him take a drink. "Well, that and the kiss." He saw the moment Dick stopped drinking but there was another half second before he lowered the bottle and looked up at Jaime.

"I never said that was a secret." Dick said casually and set the water down on the counter, suddenly realizing that Jaime was well within arms reach.

"Really? Then why has everyone been asking me exactly how we got out of there, including Batman." Jaime said, mouth pulling into a smirk when Dick looked at him in surprise. "He said he wanted the whole story. I just figured he wouldn't have asked me if he you had already told him everything."

"Did you..." He started to ask, not sure why he hadn't told Batman himself. He'd thought about it, maybe too much, but when Bruce had asked how they got out he found himself hedging the details.

"No." Jaime assured and then laughed. "If you think I'm going to tell the Bats how I took advantage of his prodigy when he was broken and possibly dying... well, I'm not suicidal."

Dick laughed then and shook his head. "You didn't take advantage of me." He ran his good hand through his hair nervously. "If anyone took advantage.."

Jaime smiled like he had been hoping to hear that. "So it wasn't just to get out of that cell?"

Blue eyes widened for a second before he composed himself again. "It was the best way to get the collar off of you without the camera monitors noticing anything." He assured. "But you are younger than I am and-"

Jaime stood up from the stool he'd been sitting on. "Only by a few years." He protested. "And I graduated-"

"Well, technically you didn't since you were being held prisoner during graduation." Dick pointed out.

"_Technically_ I still graduated I just didn't show up for the ceremony." Jaime countered, taking a step closer.

Dick found himself leaning his back against the high counter and staring up at those brown eyes. When had Jaime grown taller than him?

'_Your pulse is rising, Jaime Reyes.'_ Scarab noted. _'You are not in danger.'_ It assessed. _'The Nightwing is wounded still. You could easily kill him.'_

'We're not killing him.' Jaime said sternly before trying to ignore the Scarab entirely. He'd spent the last few weeks trying to decide how he felt about that kiss and what to do about it. "Was it just to get out of there?" He found himself asking again, his voice a little more raw than he'd expected. He had taken another step closer, his hand touching the counter between Dick's arm an his side. He had wanted to keep this light. He just needed to know.

Dick hesitated. They were standing so close now and he had no room to move back. He shouldn't let this happen. He was the older one. He had to be the reasonable one. "Jaime.." He started, not sure what to say.

Jaime felt his heart sink in his chest but managed to smile, taking a step back and reaching up and back to rub the back of his head. His cheeks colored a little in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, man, that was really uncool of me." He laughed a little and turned away, looking around at the apartment. Should he just leave? He didn't want them to be awkward.

Dick cringed when the other turned away. It wasn't really in his nature to lie so telling the truth came rather easily once he decided to. "If I was going to die, I wanted to get to kiss you first." He admitted. "It was kind of a douche move and I probably could have found another way to undo your collar without kissing you."

'_He admits that he is deceptive.'_ The Scarab said with a hint of anger. Jaime had turned around to look at Dick in surprise. _'Destroy him and we can leave.'_

Dick was still leaning against the counter, those blue eyes looking anywhere but at him. "I shouldn't have talked you into it like that but..." He sighed. "You were finally eighteen and we were actually alone for once." He scrunched his face at his own words. It was a stupid excuse. "I'm willing to admit I might have a somewhat dysfunctional view of good timing.."

Jaime took three steps to close the space he'd made between them, his hand sliding behind Dick's neck to pull his face into his own, their lips pressing together. Dick tensed and for a moment Jaime hesitated, afraid he'd misunderstood again, but then those lips opened and a tongue slid into his mouth to find his. Jaime moaned and pressed his chest against Dick's, one hand going to his side to pull him closer.

'_This is not constructive, Jaime Reyes.'_ Scarab informed him sharply.

His lips might have curled into a snarl if they weren't preoccupied. 'No more talking for the rest of the night. Seriously, if you can, just go to sleep or something.' He ordered but it almost sounded like a plea by the end, his hips grinding into Dick's and forcing a moan from the mouth against his. The sound sent shivers down his spine. His hands moved up from Dick's hip to his side, pulling at him. He wanted him closer, even with him pressed against his body.

Dick winced and let out a hiss when Jaime squeezed his side, reminding recently broken ribs of their fragile state. His lips curled in a growl at his bodies weakness and when Jaime jerked back, ready to pull away, Dick grabbed at him and pulled him forward again, slamming their hips together and making them both gasp.

"I-I'm sorry." Jaime panted, mouth swollen and hovering over Dick's. "Are you alright?"

"Shut up." Dick hissed and pulled his face down again, mashing their mouths together while his hand found the hem of Jaime's shirt and started dragging it up.

His arms came up over his head and so did his shirt. Dick dropped it on the floor and then with that same hand, the one not wrapped in plaster, he pushed Jaime back enough to break their kiss and look at him. Soft brown skin and lean muscles. He had expected him to be beautiful, had always known he was, but still some part of him was rattled when he realized that that body was free of scars. _Supers_.

Jaime reached forward, fingers curling into Dick's shirt to start dragging it up. He shivered when knuckles rolled against his abdomen. His heart shuddered and some part of his mind screamed for him to put a stop to this but with those brown eyes staring back at him, all he could do was lift his arms and duck his head enough for that piece of clothing to be pulled off. Dark hair was in his face when he looked up to see the surprise in those eyes.

Narrow waist and cords of tight muscles under pale skin dressed in an array of scars and bruises. They might both be heros, but they weren't the same. He stood still when Jaime's hands fell to his sides, one hand still holding Dick's shirt. His gaze skimmed over every mark but lingered long on the bruises along his ribs.

Dick lifted a hand, pushing hair back from his face even though it only fell forward again as soon as he let go. He looked away. "You should probably go."

Jaime frowned, his eyes shooting up to the other man's face only to realize those blues were turned away. "Why?" That got him those eyes again, blue staring at him, waiting, expecting him to understand. Oh, he understood, but that didn't mean he was leaving. "I've never been with another guy." He admitted. If he didn't say it now, he might never get to. "Honestly, I was never interested until you."

Dick smiled but it was uncertain. He exhaled a laugh and shook his head, looking away again. "That kiss.." He muttered.

"Your eyes." Jaime corrected, dropping the shirt and taking that step forward to have them centimeters apart. "I saw you for the first time. Not just the hero or the shield you hold, but you." His hand came up, ghosting fingers along those bruised ribs. "I don't know how I never saw you before." He whispered, his mouth close but still not touching and those brown eyes staring into blues. "But I'm not going to look away again."

Dick stared back at him, trying to read a lie in his gaze that just wasn't there. He felt the gravity of Jaime's body close to his and knew it was a matter of heartbeats until he pressed forward and collided with him.

The knock at his door was loud and yet for a half second they didn't notice it. The second roll of knuckles against plywood had Dick muttering a curse and shoving Jaime back, pointing at his shirt on the floor and shooting him a "put that on before I punch you" glare. Dick had very specific glares but more importantly, Jaime didn't miss the little smile at the corner of the other guy's mouth.

He bent down but instead of grabbing his t-shirt, he picked up Dick's tank top instead and pulled it on just before the front door opened. Artemis blinked at Dick's half dressed state but lingered on it only long enough to say "You look like shit." before walking in. She stopped two steps in to life an eyebrow at Jaime before continuing toward the kitchen with her bags of take-out. "When did Blue find out?"

Dick sighed pointed and closed the door. "He's trying out detective work."

Artemis laughed. "Well he's lucky I always buy too much food. Old habit." The last words were quieter, sadder. It had been years but she had never really recovered from losing Wally. She looked up at Jaime and smiled wide. "His name is great isn't it?"

Jaime laughed then and nodded, sitting down on the bar stool to watch her unpack food again. "Yes, it is."

* * *

I'm a tease! Who knew I could even do that? Thanks for the reviews and for trying out the pair! More to come!


	3. Sleep Walking

Nightwing stood in the training room, looking at the shadows as though they held some secret interest though he knew emptiness when he saw it. "You want training tips?" He asked, voice even as usual, tinged with disinterest but shaped by a grin.

Connor flexed his jaw, watching the other man for a few seconds before following him deeper into the room, onto the slight padding of the training floor. "No. I just wanted to talk." He admitted.

Dick turned, chin first and shoulders following. His eyebrow raised, tugging at the shape of his mask. "And we had to talk in here?" His hips and legs moved to have him facing his friend, shoulders leaning back and arms crossing. If something was really wrong, this wouldn't be the safest place to talk. They weren't the only ones that used this training facility or the safe house where Connor and a handful of other heroes currently lived. "What's this about?"

As if he could see what Nightwing was thinking, he shook his head. "I... I just wanted to see how you were doing. You disappeared after... well, after you disappeared."

Dick let out a laugh and rolled a shoulder. "Takes a while to heal a broken arm." He started to walk toward Connor with an aim of passing him for the door. "You didn't have to pull me aside to talk about this. I'm gonna see if Tigere-" A hand caught his arm when he was passed and, never missing a beat, Dick stopped. He looked down at Connor's hand on the crook of his arm first and then up at the other man. They were standing close. If Superboy had a secret, this would be the moment. He waited, expecting some sort of suspicion or threat to be playing on his friend's mind.

He wasn't surprised when the other man leaned in. He wasn't surprised until that mouth brushed his. Startled, Dick jerked back to get as much space between them as he could with that super hand still holding onto his arm. Connor looked back at him and the shadows were playing serious games with his features, making a friend look like an enemy. "I was worried about you." Superboy whispered.

Nightwing nodded slowly. "Yeah... Thanks."

Connor frowned. "I don't want to pretend anymore."

"If you have something to say, say it." He took his father's approach to things, direct.

Connor turned toward him fully, still holding onto his arm between them. Maybe he was afraid Dick would move away if he could. He might have. "I love you."

Nightwing fought not to cringe. It was cruel, to hear those words from someone he couldn't give them back to. He could say that he did, as friends, but Connor already knew that and it wasn't what he meant now. He shook his head slowly. "Con..."

"I know you're gay." Superboy said stiffly, voice heavy with temper, already prepared to argue.

"I am but that doesn't mean..." He struggled to find the right words, to be kind and then suddenly the chance for careful words and kindness was gone. Connor pulled at his arm to drag him in and his mouth crashed against Dick's, his other hand grabbing onto the back of his head to keep him in place. Dick did cringe then, teeth clenched to keep out that tongue and body tense. Connor didn't give him time to react, body pushing his until they hit a wall.

The sound of a door and the spill of light made Superboy jerk back and look up, eyes wide and dark and not prepared to for being caught.

Nightwing hissed out a breath and turned his head to the side, not really caring who it was until he saw Jaime standing there. His heart sunk and his eyes closed. Jaime's mouth moved to form words but he couldn't seem to decide on any before turning and taking off.

Connor was about to mutter something, Dick would never know what it was before before his friend could get it out he elbowed him in the chest to make space and used one leg to sweep both of Superboy's out from under him, landing him on his back on the mat. Connor looked so damn surprised and so damn oblivious to what he'd done.

Nightwing stood over him for a moment, glaring through the slits of his mask. "No." He said, voice firm- voice like his father's.

"But-"

"You ever grab at me like that again and I'll put a kryptonite arrow through you." He threatened, never looking away from him. He needed Connor to believe it. He needed him to recognize this line before it was too late. "We're friends, Connor. You want to keep it that way, you'll remember this."

He turned and left before the super could say anything, or worse, do anything.

He made it back to Bludhaven by nightfall and spent the dark hours working off tension by flinging himself between buildings and triumphing over criminals in back alleys. He often felt like evil doers made like seem simple. Black and white. Straight forward. He knew what to do with them.

Nightwing slipped into his apartment through the window around dawn only to find himself pacing and cursíng. He ripped off his mask, showered and changing clothes but the idea of sleeping still felt out of the question. He kept looking at his phone on the counter. He could call Jaime. He had his number. He should call him, shouldn't he? Was it presumptuous to try to explain? It's not like they were dating and Jaime hadn't called him.

Dick clawed fingers through his hair and over his scalp again. Things with Connor were going to be awkward for a while. He wasn't exactly the kind of guy that just gets over things easily.

Dick practically moped into his bathroom, as though bad lighting and bright porcelain might clear his head. He glared at his reflection, mostly at the finger shaped bruises on his arm from where Superboy had grabbed him. Supers. They made great friends, so long as you kept a back up plan and some space to stay out of reach. He sighed and turned away from his reflection. Jaime didn't have Connors temper but he was still super. Was he really ready to put his guard down around him? Could he do it even if he wanted to?

With another curse he picked up his hoodie and pulled it on over his tanktop. He was lacing up his shoes when he heard his phone chime. His heart pushed upward in his chest, too much speed in his limbs when he moved to the kitchen counter to tap the screen and see the text. Disappointment melded with embarrassment when he saw that it was from Bruce, reminding him about a function tomorrow night in Gotham that he was supposed to be attending.

He had another week before he started back up at work. By the time he'd woken up after the 'accident' with Jaime and the Guild, the story had already been woven. Detective Dick Grayson had managed to fall during a rock climbing event with his step father Bruce Wayne. He felt that it was embarassing and would have much rather they'd said he'd been hit by a car or something but Bruce said falling off cliffs made for better print and wouldn't have the police force of Bludhaven demanding an arrest.

Dick replied to the text about the charity function with a winky smiley face just to be illusive and childish.

He grabbed a beanie and pulled it on, pressing black hair down around his cheeks and neck and turned the lock on the front door. He grabbed his keys and bounced a little, ready to run off whatever energy he had left. He still had another week before he started work again.

He stepped out into the hallway, keys in hand and planning to turn and lock his door, when he saw Jaime leaning there against the wall.

There was an awkward moment when they just looked at each other, before both realized that one of them actually had to say something.

Jaime coughed and smiled, pushing off the wall with his boot to stand on his own. His hands were in the pockets of his sweater and his head tipped a little to the side. That was the way he looked when he was uncomfortable. "Hey, sorry... I know it's early and-"

"No." Dick huffed out and then smiled, fingers rolling the keys in his palm. "I should have called.." He said halfheartedly.

Jaime bit his lower lip and shook his head. "I probably shouldn't have run off like that. I just, didn't realize that you and Superboy..."

"No." Dick said again, this time a lot more certain, taking a step closer to the other man. "I mean, we aren't..."

Jaime looked back at him, momentarily hopefully before he shrugged and Dick realized that he wasn't painting a good picture of himself.

"We've never- I've never- with Connor that is..." He took a deep breath and let it out, shaking his head. It wasn't like him to be tongue tied. "You kind of walked in on him... asking me out." He cringed and then rolled his eyes.

Jaime laughed a little and Dick was more than grateful for the sound. "That was him asking you out? I've been doing it wrong then.."

"No." Dick laughed and shook his head. "He did it wrong. You just have terrible timing." He smirked.

Jaime took a step closer, looking the acrobat up and down. "Going for a run?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah."

"Wanna go get coffee instead?"

Dick smiled a little and turned to lock his door. "I don't think anything opens for another hour or two."

"Wanna walk around until they open up?"

Dick laughed and nodded, joining the other man and heading down the hall toward the stairs. "Alright."

"Good." Jaime said cheerfully. "You can show me around Bludhaven then. My personal tour guide."

Dick laughed a little harder and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you need a tour? Having trouble stalking me?"

Jaime whistled as a sound of his pain and touched his fist to his chest, an imaginary dagger there, before following him down the staircase. "Actually, I am very good at stalking you... you know, except for when you start leaping and twirling about."

Dick pressed his lips and continued down the stairs toward the door. "Not twirling.."

"Sure." Jaime passed him when Dick held the door. It was cold in Bludhaven. It might snow soon. "I had a pretty good tour of the college campus but not so much around the city..." He smirked to himself when he said it, walking ahead and certain that Dick would follow.

Grayson almost lost his step. "You... What?"

Jaime shrugged his shoulders, stuffing his hands into his pockets again. "Had to go to school somewhere."

"You're kidding." Dick picked up his pace to catch up to the other man.

"Well, I mean, I figured I'd try it out." Jaime smiled, mostly to himself. "It was either that or join the police force."

Grayson meant to sound skeptical or maybe make another jab about being stalked, but all he could do was laugh. "You moved here?" He shook his head, grinning wide. "I must be a great kisser."

Jaime turned his head to smile at him. He liked seeing him like this. No disguise, no job to do, just Dick Grayson. "You really don't have anything going on with Superboy?" He caught himself asking before he could think better of it, voice quiet and a little worried before he could laugh it off. "I mean, I should get to know if I have competition."

Dick shrugged a shoulder but continued to smile. "I didn't say you didn't have competition..." He joked before giving in. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"Anyone but me, you mean." Jaime reminded, chin high and eyes watching the buildings.

"You are suddenly convenient.."

Jaime laughed. "Don't play hard to get now!"

"You better not get in my way when it comes to work." Dick decidedly changed the subject.

"I wasn't really planning to join the police force."

"That's not the job I'm talking about."

Jaime grinned. "I know." He watched the shops on the corners, not yet open. "So, will donuts and coffee count as our first date?"

"Depends on how good the donuts are, I guess."

* * *

Thanks for reading so far and for all of the great reviews! I hope to get more up soon! -march


	4. Bike Rides

Dick Grayson stood as comfortably in his fitted suit in a room full of Armani, don perignon and diamonds as he did in his sweatpants at the gym. Comfort in all disguises was a gift of his upbringing, but being smug about it was just his own personality shining through.

The Wayne mansion was packed with all of the wealthy Gotham had to offer, gathering to donate money. He never understood why they needed a party to make donations but it wasn't in the nature of most to give something without getting something in return. He lingered on the floor near the buffet table for twenty minutes talking to virtual strangers that all knew his name. He knew theirs, of course, but they were politicians and heiresses.

He noticed Bruce upstairs near the banister talking to two women, both trying very hard to gain more than his polite attention. It was pointless. If they didn't have a whip or penchant for bad choices, they weren't going to get at his heart.

Dick was making his way toward the stairs, when a waiter bumped into him. He caught the other man by the arm to keep him from falling, pulling him upright and smiling already. "Wow." He said casually before he inhaled and recognized the body he'd caught.

Jaime looked incredibly innocent when he turned to look back at him, smiling wide with a tray of empty champagne flutes on their way back to the kitchen. Dick forgot to let go of his arm, laughing instead. "You're really taking this stalking thing too far. I told you we could have dinner tomorrow."

Jaime actually blushed then and shook his head. "This wasn't one of my plans, promise. I got a part-time job with a catering company and they called me this afternoon to see if I could fill in for someone."

Dick let go of his arm, smoothing out Jaime's white jacket sleeve casually before stuffing his hand back into the pocket of his slacks. "Do you have a ride home?"

Jaime's smile grew, those brown eyes shining with excitement. "I do, but I could blow off a crowded van back to Bludhaven if you have a better offer."

Grayson grinned. "I'll look for you when the party's over then." He said before watching Jaime go back to the kitchen. Their interaction had caught the attention of a few nearby guests, all quickly looking away when Dick acknowledged the rest of his surroundings again.

He made his way upstairs and leaned against the banister overlooking the open room. It didn't take long for Bruce to finish talking with the Mayor and make his way to his adopted son, smiling casually. "Suit looks good."

Dick shrugged and tried not to smirk. "Yeah. Damnedest thing. It just showed up in my closet one day."

"Alfred though you'd need a new one. You have a way of wearing out your clothes. Always have." Bruce said, standing straight and looking out over the party while Dick leaned against the thick wood railing and watched his mentor. "You're going back to work next week?"

"I've been back to work for a while now." He smirked and earned one of those signature sideways glares from Bruce. "Yeah, I'll be back to the badge next Wednesday."

Bruce nodded before starting to say something else and then stopping abruptly. Grayson stood upright suddenly, nerves tingling and muscles gathering. Any look of surprise or alarm on Bruce had that effect on Dick. He turned his head to look down at the charity, to follow his father's eye, only to land on Jaime.

"Isn't that..?" Bruce started, voice dark.

"Yeah. Jaime Reyes." Dick confirmed, relaxing just a little and feeling a new tension build in chest.

"What is he doing in Gotham?"

It was a simple enough question so Dick chose the most simple answer. "He moved to Bludhaven for school."

"You should leave before he recognizes you." The Bat made a decision.

Dick leaned against the railing again, feeling much like a child. "About that.."

Bruce's brows lifted in surprise when he turned his head to look at his ward. "You told him?" He didn't sound like he believed it even when he said it.

"No." Dick hedged.

"Dick." His adoptive father said stiffly.

Grayson sighed and then shrugged dismissively. "He figured me out but it's fine."

"You think that's fine?" He was starting to sound judgey and Dick was getting the urge to find a funny reason to leave. The only reason he didn't is because he was still looking forward to having Jaime on the back of his bike.

"There's nothing to be done about it. We're friends anyway."

"Are you planning to tell all of your friends?" Bruce used the condescending tone.

Dick groaned in that whiny way he hadn't since he was a teen. "Come on. I didn't tell him. He showed up on my doorstep."

"Why Bludhaven?"

"School."

Bruce frowned. "There are a lot of schools between Gotham and Texas.."

"What do you want me to do? He's a friend."

"A friend that could go on mode any time. You might be friends with Jaime but that doesn't mean you're friends with the scarab." Bruce was on the verge of a full blown defensive and Dick could see it. The Batman had a skill for planning. His back up plans had back up plans and there was no one on the Justice League that he didn't have a contingency plan for- including himself. He had to have plans. He was a hero in a world of superheros. Dick understood and usually it didn't bother him. But having to acknowledged Jaime as a threat was scratching at his nerves.

"Can you just drop it for now?" Dick pleaded and Bruce looked surprised, the request jarring him from his own thoughts.

He looked at his adoptive son again, as though he hadn't seen him in a while. "Why?"

Dick stared back at him, feeling strangely cornered and, again, at a loss for words. Jaime was having a strange affect on him. "He's... um..."

"Um?" Bruce was looking concerned now and took a step closer. "Do you want to talk someplace more private?"

"This is your party.." Dick laughed but it felt as awkward as it came off. He wasn't used to the conversation being about him and definitely not about his private life. Bruce was usually really good about minding his own business and letting Dick do his own thing, outside of training and social functions that is. He could see the wheels turning in his mentor's eyes. Worry. That was always were Bruce went. Worst case scenario. Right now it probably involved Blue Beetle being on mode and somehow black mailing Dick with his identity.

"Dick." Bruce said suddenly in all seriousness and dropped the mask of severity. He wasn't the Batman or even Bruce Wayne then, he was just a concerned parent. "Forget the party. If you want to talk-"

"I'm kind of dating him." Dick blurted out. He had always been a "rip the band aid off" sort of person anyway and he wasn't really sure why he'd never mentioned the men he'd dated in the past to Bruce. Though, truth be told, he never talked to Bruce about anyone that he dated.

Bruce looked momentarily surprised before settling back into his comfortable skepticism. "He's younger than you." He pointed out casually.

Dick shrugged. "I'm immature." He smiled and looked around at the party again. It was odd, but he had expected something to change when he told Bruce. He had never gone so far as to imagine what, but the idea of any change between them had been frightening enough. "Would you rather I dated someone older than me?"

His adoptive father seemed to consider this for a split second before his lip curled into a grimace and he finished his drink. "No."

Dick knew that the Bat would still come up with contingency plans in case their nearness to Blue Beetle became a problem, he might even come up with more plans now that that threat was so much closer to Nightwing, but he wouldn't say anything about them unless it became relevant. "How long now?"

"With Jaime?" Dick was surprised by the question. "We've only been out a couple times."

Bruce nodded. "Alright. Well, if you think it's serious, bring him by the manor for lunch sometime." He touched Dick's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "Since you're not in danger, I am going to go take care of my guests." He smiled, a momentary and rare gesture, before he turned into the Bruce Wayne the public knew. He spent the rest of the evening being a delight to his fake friends, laughing and joking and gathering their funds for another good cause.

At some point, when the party was dwindling down to the drunken stragglers and the staff, Dick sat on a table the way he had as a child and waited for Alfred to come over and scold him. He was willingly wrangled into coming home for breakfast on Sunday, putting up a weak fight so that his butler and friend could win.

When Jaime was finally off work Dick told him he'd meet him around front. When he pulled around, he could see the other man standing in the driveway at the bottom of the stairs seemingly talking to himself. He pulled up on his motorcycle and stopped, taking off his helmet just in time to catch Jaime saying "What's your problem? We can fly but we can't ride a motorcycle? We've been on space ships. …. How are spaceships safer than motorcycles?"

Dick laughed and Jaime looked suddenly embarrassed, his cheeks turning a shade of red. "Problem?"

Jaime shook his head and came closer, looking at the bike. "Nope. No problem." He smiled when he realized that sitting on the back of Dick's bike was going to put him pretty damn close. Before he could straddle it though, the helmet was being pushed toward him. Jaime touched the black metal before pushing it back toward the rider. "I have one built in." He insisted, voice quiet even when they were alone. "He might bitch like a chicken, but he'd suit me up before I hit the ground."

Dick looked momentarily skeptical but shrugged and put the helmet back on. He wasn't in the habit of arguing with supers over their own abilities. "If you say so." He said before returning his gloved fingers to the handles.

Jaime climbed onto the bike behind him and Dick appreciated the helmet because it hid his smile when the other man squirmed on the seat, trying to get comfortable or maybe just secure. He held on to his hips, his thighs along his, and Dick didn't dare to look back and see if Bruce was watching.

He pulled out of the yard and through the front gates of Wayne Manor. It hadn't been a bad night, despite the suit and the hours of making conversation with strangers. Bruce knew he was dating Jaime and didn't care. Dick felt stupid for having hesitated to tell him. If anything, he would get a lecture about dating another hero long before he ever got one for dating a guy.

When they hit the main roads, Jaime leaned his chest against Dick's back, one arm curling around his front.

It was night and there wasn't too much traffic on the road leading up to the bridge that would bring them into Bludhaven. It was almost two in the morning and the only question left on Dick's mind was whether or not he was planning to go upstairs with Jaime when he dropped him off.

The were half way across the bridge when he saw a figure standing along the side. A car ahead of them passed him first and lights flashed over that mask, half black, half orange. He saw him too late. A thick metal wire lifted from the street ahead of them, pulled taught and too close. Dick braked but it was too late. Wheels screaming and body of metal turning sideways. His body twisted, tensing, one arm letting go to shove Jaime back, pushing him right off the damn bike.

He caught sight of him falling, blue metal wrapping around him before he hit the concrete. The bike hit the cord of metal line and flipped, tossing Dick into the air. He landed well enough- landing was something he practiced- but the bike followed, slamming into him and pushing him under, skidding across the road until it went right over the edge of the bridge, plummeting into the black icy waters below.

* * *

DunDunDUNNN. Seriously though, I have a plan. Thank you for all the love and reading this! Feedback is always welcomed!


	5. Crashing

Jaime was wrapped in the armor of the Blue Beetle before he even registered what had happened. He was off the bike. He was in the air. He was watching the bike flip and Dick Grayson in his unbuttoned suit and helmet twist through the air. He landed but the bike came rushing forward.

The Blue Beetle jerked forward, everything in him desperate to stop that horror show from reaching the edge of the bridge.

'Jaime Reyes.' The Scarab hissed in warning just before a blast of energy collided with his chest, throwing him back into the windsheild of a car. He opened his eyes just in time to see the bike and Dick disappear over the edge. His heart sunk low and his guts rose high. 'Your opponant appears to be human.' The Scarab continued, always focused on the wrong things.

More cars scidded to stop in the middle of the road, their headlights bright and illuminating Deathstroke where he stood, one canon of a gun in hand and broad shoulders pressed back. "Sorry about your ride, kid." He said without any particular note of remorse.

'Kill him.' The Scarab suggested. 'He is a threat.'

Jaime shuddered because for once they agreed. He pushed himself up out of the windsheild, bits of glass rolling off his suit and his boots denting the hood of the car when he finally stood upright. His right arm lifted and the armor shifted, grew, changed, became a canon to rival the one this mercenary carried. He had questions. He wanted to know why. Why today? Why in Gotham? Why him? But he was afraid his voice might break if he tried to ask.

His arm swung but Deathstroke didn't match his movement or move to evade it. He lifted his other hand, holding nothing but what looked to be a phone. His thumb tapped the screen.

'Do not hesitate, Jaime Re-' The Scarab's always pushing voice cut off and the energy swelling in his arm dissipated. For a moment Jaime could only stare back at Deathstroke in shock. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe. His head was empty of any thoughts but his own and his muscles tightened uselessly, unable to move his own limbs.

Deathstroke laughed a little, a husky exhale of breath. "Sorry, kid. It's nothing personal." He assured before tapping the screen again.

Jaime gasped for air when his suit retracted from his body and he slid down the hood of that car to land on his knees on the assphalt. His skin felt cold without that armor, in front of Deathstroke. He looked up at him with large, brown eyes. "How..."

Deathstroke tossed his gun away as though it was nothing now, crossing the stretch of street between them.

Jaime got to his feet quickly but the movement only brought Deathstroke to him faster, one fat fist coming down against the side of his face to knock him back against the hood of the car again. He felt his pulse beating hard inside his cheek, under that eye. He rolled his head to the side, blinking against the blur of his vision only to find himself staring at the edge of the bridge where Dick's bike had torn the railing.

Hands grabbed at the front of his shirt to haul him up, lifting him too easily. Jaime ground his teeth and kicked hard, jabbing his knee into that broad chest and then twisting violently to break free. Deathstroke hissed angrily, grabbing him by the back of the hair this time and lifted, one arm hooking around his chest to drag him in. That mask rubbed against his cheek. "Settle down, kid. Or this is going to get a lot worse."

He hauled him toward a waiting van but Jaime didn't stop thrashing. Finally, close to the vehicle, Deathstroke let out a little curse and tossed the younger man forward to have him smashing against the back of the van. He lifted his fist, intent on knocking him out. He only barely saw the flicker of movement at his side before a body slammed into his, shoving him back before slamming a boot to his gut and a stick to his face.

Deathstroke hit the ground with a curse, already pushing himself back up. "Junior…" He muttered before even looking up to see Nightwing standing there between him and his prey. "can't you just call this a Gotham problem and go back to Bludhaven?"

Nightwing grinned. "When has that ever stopped me from butting in?" He asked almost casually, head tipping to one side but body not moving from where he stood. "Snatching heroes? Not quite your style." He continued before his hand moved, holding up the little device Deathstroke had used to shut down the Scarab. He waved it at him long enough to see that one eye go wide before pocketing it. "You should leave." Nightwing suggested, the sound of sirens in the distance.

"You think it's that easy, kid?" Deahtstroke drew the long katana from his back, shifting the weight of it in his hand.

Nightwing frowned. "Alright. Just tell me why." He took a step closer. He could say it was tactic but the truth was, he just wanted to keep that blade as far from Jaime as possible.

"Always curious, kid..." Deathstroke muttered. "Gets you in trouble."

Jaime was on his feet again, standing anxiously, unsure what to do without his armor.

Nightwing rolled his head to the side to talk to him without ever taking his eye off Deathstroke. "Go." He told him darkly.

Jaime felt his stomach knot and his lips curl. "What? I-"

"You're what he's after. The sooner he loses you, the sooner he has to cut his loses." Nightwing said lowly before rushing toward Deathstroke.

Jaime cringed to see them collide and be able to do nothing about it. That sword cut down, scarring that escrima, the sounds of sirens screaming on the other side of them. Jaime ground his teeth but forced himself to turn away, making a run for it across the bridge. He felt like a coward and a chump but he understood. If he was still there, Deathstroke wouldn't stop. They'd have to keep fighting until one of them couldn't get back up or the police finally took it upon themselves to end the struggle between mercenary and vigilante.

He ran until he couldn't hear the sirens. Until he was off the bridge and into Bludhaven. He ran until he was a block from his own apartment complex and realized that he couldn't go there. Deathstroke had found him. Did that mean he knew who he was? How could he not? He walked circles until he finally went the only other place he could think of.

He spent another handful of minutes outside Nightwing's apartment door before finally picking the lock and letting himself in, closing the door and bolting it once inside. He didn't have long to dwell on what had happened before the window opened and he spun around, watching Nightwing slid into the apartment and close the frame of glass behind him. He landed on the floor and crossed it to him, as though he'd expected him to be there. As though it was a plan they had already formed.

"What-" Jaime started but Nightwing was already pulling out the device that looked like a phone, he was tapping at it, reading faster than Jaime could think. "He shut me off." He said the words that had shaken his soul. "Am… Am I going to be on mode?" It was a whisper that got him a hard glare from Nightwing but no answer.

"Looks like they figured out how to find you based on the energy of the Scarab… Would have taken a lot of resources though." Nightwing said, not sounding pleased. "Did he say why he was taking you?"

Jaime shook his head. "No. No. He just said sorry." He frowned.

Nightwing shrugged. "He does that." He had moved to his desk now and pulled out a laptop, hooking up the device to it. "Can you hear the Scarab?"

"No. Nothing."

Nightwing nodded. The screen of his computer was flooded with what looked like a jumble of numbers and words but he was typing, moving it along, reading. "I don't think it did any damage. It's just a pulse that was designed to jam up the Scarab's frequency..." He mumbled before adding something to the coding. "Can you hear him yet?"

"No." Jaime was standing beside him now, staring at the screen even though it meant nothing to him.

Another set of keystrokes. "Now?"

'Destroy it!' The Scarab shouted in his mind, so loud and sudden that he cringed, one hand coming up to touch his head. "Yeah, he's back."

Nightwing let out a breath of relief. "Alright. I think you should be able to-"

'The signal has been added to our codex. It will not work the next time.' Scarab assured, talking over Nightwing. Jaime nodded. "Alright."

Nightwing peeled off his mask and stood up from the desk, stretching and wincing and finally turning to look at Jaime. "You should probably stay here for a while. We can use the tech to find out who made it and hopefully that'll lead us to whoever was after you."

Jaime nodded stiffly.

Dick frowned and took the only step needed to stand in front of him, looking at him worriedly now. "What's wrong? You're Scarab is functioning right? You're not hurt?" He was looking him over now, not happy about the bruise growing on his cheek but not overly worried about it either.

"I'm fine. I just… He shut me down."

Dick smiled then. "Really? He wrecked my bike and threw me off a bridge."

Jaime frowned deeper. "That doesn't make me feel better."

Dick laughed and nodded. "Alright. I'm sorry." He walked around him, crossing the small apartment to open a closet. "Do you want to shower?"

Jaime sighed but nodded. "Yeah. Thanks." He said just before Dick tossed him a towel. He caught it, looking down to realize that there were two before looking up to see Dick peel off the top of his suit. His lean, pale chest was dusted in bruises. Jaime could see the difference now between old fading ones and the hints of new ones he'd earned tonight. "Y-You meant together?" He hated the way his voice croaked but loved the way Dick grinned.

Nightwing rolled a shoulder. "I guess I can wait if you want to go first." He said, that smile never fading.

Jaime shook his head a little too fast and took a few steps closer. "N-No. Sounds good."

Dick got out of his boots before leading him to the bathroom. Jaime stood in the doorway, toeing himself out of his shoes and working the button of his shirt open. He watched almost breathlessly when Dick squirmed his way out of his suit, leaving it in a pile on the tile floor and standing there naked for a minute. He looked perfectly comfortable. For the first time Jaime imagined he knew why Dick Grayson carried himself the same as Nightwing. The same whether he wore his uniform, his badge, his jogging clothes, his suit, or nothing at all. Dick Grayson was always Nightwing. He was always as strong and as weak as his body. No suit could change that.

He turned and pushed back the curtains to the shower. His thigh was scraped up and bruised. Jaime assumed it was from the slide under the bike and off the bridge but he wouldn't ask. There was a matching mark tearing across his back but he didn't seem to notice. Jaime shuddered out a breath when he watched Dick step over the edge of the shower floor and leave that curtain open, expecting him to follow.

'Your pulse is raised and your body temperature is abnormally high.' The Scarab warned. 'You might be ill. I am not sensing any poisons but-'

"I'm not ill but I can promise, my pulse and my body temp are going to get a lot higher in the next half hour or so, so you might want to give up on the reports." Jaime said lowly, unbuckling his belt.

Dick turned his head back to smile at him while he turned on the spray. "Problem?"

"Nope." Jaime insisted, dropping his pants and stepping out of them to walk into the bathroom. The water was hot when he got into the shower, pulling the curtain closed. For a few wonderful minutes he just watched Dick shower, drenching himself and clawing fingers through dark hair, pushing it back.

"You're not worried about Deathstroke following me to you?" He whispered when Dick moved away from the water and to one side, expecting Jaime to trade sides with him. He did, more than a little aware that they never quite touched despite being so impossibly close.

Dick smiled. "No. I'm not."

Jaime leaned back into the water. "Why not?"

Dick took his turn to watch. Their bodies weren't the same even if they shared all the important pieces. Jaime had a complexion that made Dick look like a ghost, his muscles were long and smooth but not tight from hard use. And as he turned, Dick noticed that there wasn't one bruise on him. Not a scar or a scrape. Not one but for the long bruise coloring his cheekbone where those knuckles had caught him. Dick frowned momentarily at it when Jaime had his eyes closed under the water. He decided then that he was going to have to teach Jaime to fight, not just when he was Blue Beetle. "If he makes another try for you, it won't be tonight." Dick assured casually. Jaime pushed the water from his face to look back at him, skepticism dressing his features. Dick smiled. "I might have dropped him off the bridge."

Jaime blinked at him. "You might have?"

"He pushed me off first."

"You didn't really fall."

"Yeah." Dick grinned uncontrollably. "But he did."

Jaime leaned forward so that the water was spraying against his back. "Well, thanks for coming back." He muttered, voice low again.

Dick's smile tapered off, tugging at the corners and something lazy and dark welled in his blue eyes. He leaned forward and filled what little space had been between them. "It wasn't a hard decision." He whispered before his mouth touched Jaime's, kissing him softly for a moment before his hand had him by the back of the neck, turning them, pushing their bodies together and then forcing him to step back.

Jaime shuddered when his back hit the cold tile wall and that hot naked body pushed up against his front, making his knees tremble. He could barely think, could barely get ahead of the sensations and wants to consider what he should do next. It didn't seem to matter because suddenly the kiss ended. Jaime opened his eyes, expecting to see that wicked smirk glinting back at him before Grayson slipped out of the shower to leave him hard and panting. What he saw was the top of that head of raven dark hair sliding down. He could barely open his mouth before he was gasping for air, his vision blurring at the feel of that mouth wrapping around him.

His head thunked back against the tile wall and he groaned loudly. "Sh-Shit..." He was struggling to breathe right, to remember to exhale, his legs soon shaking and his hand lost in those wet strands of hair, caressing the back of Dick's moving head.

His shoulders shook, his back starting to arch, sounds of distress and too much pleasure rising in his throat to warn just before that mouth suddenly left him. Jaime was left leaning against the wall, panting for air and shaking, staring through glassy eyes at Dick's swollen mouth and lazy smile. Hands grabbed his arms, pulling him away from the wall to turn him and push him up against it. Jaime ground out a pained moan at that cold wall flush against his chest and hot thighs and sex. He shivered, pressing his cheek to the tiles at the feel of Dick's mouth moving over his neck. "Have you ever..." Dick started to ask, voice husky.

Jaime wasn't sure what he was going to ask but he knew the answer. "No." Teeth ran along his neck to his shoulder, making him shudder and moan. "Fuck..."

"Do you have a preference?" Dick whispered, mouth coming up to the shell of his ear. Jaime opened his eyes in time to hear him add. "Do you want me to fuck you, or ride you?"

Jaime almost lost it right there, moaning and rolling his forehead against the tile, his body rubbing back against Dick's to feel that hard cock against his ass. "Y-You know… I thought I'd have a preference.." He admitted, shivering. "But right now, I just want to cum."

Dick laughed, the sound warm and deep and rolling through his chest and into Jaime's, his hand traveling down his hip to stroke his thigh. He pulled at his hips until they were back a little, his shoulders still pressed to the wall and the shower running behind them somewhere. Jaime's mouth opened to gasp at swallows of air when a finger pushed inside of him, someplace no one had ever been, making his thighs tremble.

His fingers flexed against the tiles, his ass squirming against that hand. "F-Fuck..." He groaned loud, his voice echoing in the shower with the rising steam.

Dick hummed against the back of his neck, adding another finger and moving until those hips were bucking back against him. He grabbed Jaime by the hair to tug lightly, to get him to open his eyes. "You can say stop." He whispered, voice dark, mouth brushing the shell of Jaime's ear. "You can always say stop."

Jaime shuddered out a moan. "I really don't think that's gonna happen.." He muttered and felt that mouth smile against his neck behind his ear before disappearing. The fingers pulled out of him, making his cock twitch where it hung heavy between his legs and his breath gather in his chest in anticipation.

He rolled his cheek on the tile until he had his forehead to it, his hands pressed to the wall and his hips pushed back, legs spread. He moaned at those hands on his hips, holding him still, and the pressure pushing against him, pushing and pushing until finally his body gave, wrapping around the other man. His mouth dropped open, his forehead pressing harder to the tile as Dick pushed deeper and deeper, until their bodies were mashed together and he could feel him inside of him, almost in his chest. "M-Move..." He begged, breathless.

Dick moaned and Jaime shuddered at the sound, realizing that it was the first time he'd heard it. It was a sound of abandon, marking a loss of control that was not characteristic for Grayson. His hands held tight to Jaime's hips and his body leaned back before pushing forward again. They both groaned and shuddered, Dick building a pace and Jaime greedily rocking back into it until his vision was blurring and he was sure that he was going to go mad.

"P-Please..." Jaime panted. "Oh, fuck… Please.." He begged.

Dick groaned in reply, moving faster and reaching around him with one hand, grabbing his hard cock and stroking in time with his thrusts. It was the last bit of sensation that Jaime could handle. His mouth moved, desperate to produce words but he couldn't. His body arching and his sounds choking in his throat when he came. Dick followed quickly with a few more hard thrusts before he was pressed to his back, pushing him up against the wall and panting for air.

They stayed like that for a while longer, just catching their breaths and shaking before Dick finally stepped back, pulling him off the wall and turning him around. He kissed him, fingers in his hair and tongue tasting his, before smiling and pushing him back into the spray of the shower to clean up.

* * *

Sorry it took a bit to get this part up. A month isn't crazy long but I did leave it with a cliff hanger.. Hope you like it though! Thank you for all of the reviews/feedback. It's really appreciated and so inspiring! I do have more plans for this one, so I hope you stick around!


	6. The Moment Before

Jaime walked into the apartment, took two long strides and then collapsed onto Dick's couch.

Dick followed him in, kicking the door shut and tossing his keys onto the entry table. "It went pretty well." He said cheerfully.

Jaime screamed into the cushions.

Dick laughed. They had spent the last few weeks avoiding lunch with Mr. Wayne by using work conflicts, tracking down leads on the Deathstroke incident and even a fictitious stomach flu to get out of it but this weekend they had finally run out of excuses. It had been a long lunch. "I thought it went alright."

Jaime lifted his head from the couch to look up at Dick just as he was walking around the kitchen island to the fridge. "You're kidding right? It was an interrogation." He whined.

Dick laughed and took a power-aid from the fridge. "Hardly. If he doesn't have you hooked up to a lie detector, it isn't an interrogation."

"He took a hair sample."

"He was joking." Dick lied with a grin, coming around the island again and leaning back against it. Jaime had more or less moved in since Deathstroke happened. They said it was for safety reasons, but it was just a good excuse.

Jaime got up off the couch, dragging fingers back through his hair. "You're kidding, right? When you left the room he stared at me for like five minutes. Just stared at me!"

Dick took a drink of blue liquid and shrugged a shoulder. "That's not so bad."

"He was holding a knife."

"We were eating lunch.."

"Yeah, soup!"

Dick laughed as Jaime was standing up, shoulder still slumped in exhaustion. "Stop pouting!" He said as he put the drink on the counter behind him. "Want to go out to a club tonight?" He grabbed onto Jaime's waist, pulling him in a little closer.

Jaime didn't resist, body leaning into his and hands sneaking up the inside of his shirt to run fingers along his ribs. "Hmm… Maybe. Maybe we should just stay in." He smiled against Dick's neck, leaning his face up into it, mouth opening to have his tongue tasting that skin.

Dick sucked in a breath, arms curling against those shoulders, one hand losing fingers to Jaime's hair, tugging lightly though it only made him bolder, mouth soon attacking the pale column of Dick's throat. He hummed with a moan when he felt those hands sliding down his sides, giving up his ribs to work open his pants. "J-Jaime… shouldn't we- there go my pants." He mumbled breathily, lips pulling into a grin and then a moan when Jaime shoved off his underpants as well and pulled at his thighs to have him wrapped around his waist. Dick's back arched against the edge of the counter, grinding himself against his boyfriend while Jaime opened his own slacks.

Dick's fingers clawed at Jaime's back, dragging his shirt up and forcing him to take that second to lift his arms and let him pull it off. Jaime groaned at the nuisance but let him have it, moaning when those same pale fingers were digging into his shoulders, holding on when he pushed up into him.

The first few times had been clumsy and taken a good amount of prep-work but it had been a great few weeks. Jaime held onto Dick's thigh with one hand and the counter behind him with the other, rocking back and forth on his hips to move up into him, dropping his head back to look up at the raven haired man arching back over the counter and moaning, clutching at his shoulders.

"S-Still want to go to a club?" Jaime whispered huskily, watching his boyfriend shudder.

"Hnnn.. N-No." Dick panted above him.

"Tell me what you want." Jaime moaned, knuckles white against the edge of the counter.

Dick cursed, rolling his hips to add a bounce to the already steady thrusts. "I-I want you to keep fucking me." He groaned, eyes closed. "Just keep fucking me."

Jaime smiled, a lazy, proud grin.

* * *

Connor wasn't smiling. He was sitting at a screen in a dark room filled with the echoes of those moans, watching Nightwing through Blue Beetles eyes. His teeth ground but he didn't look away.

"The test we had Deathstroke run was a success. As you can see, we managed to set up the second coding and secure a frequency the Scarab is not prepared for." The technician in the lab coat said from where he was standing uncomfortably in the room. The whole business of sabotaging Blue Beetle hadn't phased the man but the show on the screen seemed to be making him sweat.

"When can I put him on mode?" Connor asked. Not looking away from the screen, watching the moment when Dick came, his body arching and head dropping back, some of those black strands sticking to his cheek, his mouth open wide to gasp for air.

"Whenever you'd like." The technician assured, stepping forward to hand Connor an envelope with the codes. "Mr. Luthor sends his regards and would like you to know that he is always willing to be of service."

The envelope crinkled in his hand before he tore it open and let the card with the list of digits and letters that would put an end to Jaime fall out onto the desk beside the keyboard.

* * *

Chug chug. Slowly but surely moving along in this story. I hope if you're reading it, that you're enjoying it! More to come!


End file.
